Automatic coin selector



Nov. 3, 1931. s. P. cRoY Y AUTOHATIC GOIN SELECTOR Filed March 13. 1931 Patented Nov. 3, 1931 .UNITED STATES GEORGE P. CRO'Y, OF TALLAHASSEE, FLORIDA.

AUTOMATIC COIN SELEUEOR .f Application lled :March 13, 1931. Serial No. 522,444.

This invention relates to' check controlled apparatus, particularly apparatus of this class such as com operated telephones, vend-4 ing machines, and the like. The invention is intended primarily to provide an automatic coin selector designed to prevent fraud 1n the operation of such apparatus.

In the operation of check controlled apparatus there is a considerable revenue lost through fraudulent operation by means of rforate slugs such as washers and particuarly the centrally apertured brass checks commonly employed at the present time in connection with slot machines. A primary object of this invention resides in the provision of automatic selector means which di.

rects authorized checks and coins into an operating channel associated with a check controlled mechanism, while at the same time unauthorized checks having central apertures will be passed through a segregation channel without infiuencing in any way the mechanism with which the selector is associated.

Another object is the provision of automatic selector means assoc1ated with the coin chute of a check controlled apparatus and disposed in a manner whereby the selector is readily accessible and may be dismantled and replaced without requiring any dismantling of the mechanism with which the selector is associated. A further object is the provision of a simple selector which is positive in operation and which is normally 55 biased through gravity to operative osition. Other objects w1ll be apparent rom the description to those skilled in the art.

Figure 1 of the drawings is a side elevation of a coin chute employed in connection with check controlled apparatus with the automatic selector means of this invention disposed thereon.

Figure 2 is a section on the line 2-2 of Figure 1.

Figure 3 is substantially a vertical section through Figure 1 and taken at a right angle thereto, illustrating in full lines the normal service position of the selector means and in dotted lines the operating movement thereof on the passage of a perforate check.

Figure 4 is a section similar to Figure 3 and illustrating the operation of the selector in connection with the passage of an imperforate check through the chute. i Figure 5 is a perspective of the automatic 55 selector employed.

Figures 6 and 7 are fragmentary side elevations of a coin chute and associated selector illustrating an alternative means for mounting the selector.

In detail the invention consists of a conventional coin chute 10 having a check deposit mouth 11 and side walls 12 and 13l spaced apart in parallel relation sufficiently to permit the free passage downwardly therethrough of checks deposited through the mouth 11. The walls 12 and 13 are generally in practice made of castings or stamped metal sections formed with the series of cut away portions 14 to cut down weight.

At appropriate points the chute walls 12 and 13 are provided with longitudinally elongated apertures 15 and 16 respectively which are substantially in horizontal ali nment, with one aperture, indicated as 16, eing of a size sufficient to permit free passage of a check therethrough as it is ejected from the chute 10. For the purpose of receiving checks ejected through the aperture or port 16 a receiving chute is provided by the em- 80 ployment `of a guide Wall 17 arranged in parallel spacedY relation with respect to the wall 13. The upper portion of lthe guide wall 17 extends substantially to the upper edge of the port 1.6 so that coins ejected 86 through the port will be guided into the chute formed by the walls 13 and 17.

The automatic selector means of the present invention consists of a movable detent as 4 shown in Figure 5 which is preferably in the 90 form of a pivoted lever having aI fiat short arm 18 and a much longercurved arm 19 terminating in a finger 20. At the inner end of the short arm 18 the body portion of the lever is substantially looped upon itself to provide a bearing loop 21 in the form of a sleeve adapted for enga ement over the bearing shaft portion 22 o a wire clip 23 secured on the chute 10 and extending horizontally across the aperture 15 and the Wall 12 so as to 100 dispose its bearing shaft portion 22 at substantially the center of the aperture.

The entire body of the pivoted lever is preferably formed as a unitary metal strip having inherent resiliency whereby the diverging arms 18 and 19 may be sprung apart sufiiciently to enable the bearing portion 21 of the lever to be snapped over the bearing shaft 22. The major portion of the long arm 19 of the lever is formed as a pendant loop 24 which in the service position of the parts, as

shown in Figure 3, depends beneath the pivotal pointl of the lever to counter-weight the short arm 18 and maintain the same in a position extending transversely across the coin chute between the walls 12 and 13.

The entire body of the lever is mounted for free oscillation through the wall aperture 15 and above the loop 24 the long arm 19 is graduallycurved upwardly and inwardly to a point at which, in the normal service position of the lever, the terminal of the linger 2O rests within the wall aperture 15 in a position at one side of the check passage of the coin chute so that the finger is normally held out of the path of checks passing through the chute while the short arm 18 provides a movable detent which is at all times extended across the chute in the path of travel of checks passing therethrough.

The .loop portion 24 is of a size sufficient to provide the necessary weight to maintain the lever in the full line position as shown in Figure 3. thus providing a gravity bias for restoring the lever t0 its initial position after the passage of a check through the chute. In the alternative manner of mounting the pivoted lever as shown in Figures 6 and 7, the clip 23 is eliminated and a bearing 25 is provided for the lever loop portion 21 by the provision of a web extended between the sides of the aperture 15 in the wall 12.

In operation as checks are passed through the chute 10 they will engage the depressible detent 18 to rock the lever on its pivot 22 and thereby move the finger 2O transversely inwardly of and across the chute channel. In case an unauthorized check of the perforated type indicated by the reference numeral 26 is passed through the chute, upon depression of the detent 18 by the check the rocking movement of the lever will pass the finger 2O through the central aperture or perforation 27 of the check so that no side-wise movement will be imparted to the check and it will continue through the chute to drop Adown past the selector continuing between the walls 12 and 13 Without influencing the mechanism with which the selector is associated.

In the case of an authorized check, such as an imperforate coin 28, as the detent 18 is depressed thereby the finger 2O will be moved into the chute to impinge against the body of the check and thereby move the check in so far as they are defined by the scope of y the invention as claimed.

I claim:

1. In a check controlled apparatus, a chute, a check depressible detent pivoted in a wall of the chute and normally extending thereinto, a finger on said detent and positioned to impinge against imperforate checks on depression of said detent thereby and to pass through perforate checks. said finger having its major portion disposed as a pendant loop beneath the pivotal point of said detent.

2. In a check controlled apparatus, a chute, one wall thereof having an aperture, a. bearing member on said chute wall and positioned in the aperture, and a lever joui-nailed on said bearing member to oscillate in and through said aperture, said lever having a short arm normally disposed in the path of checks in said chute and a long arm normally disposed at one side of the path of checks above said short arm and movable into and across said chute on depression of said short arm, the long arm having its major portion disposed beneath said bearing member to counter-Weight said short arm.

3. In a check controlled apparatus, a chute having its side walls apertured in substantially transverse alignment, a lever pivoted intermediate its ends on one wall to oscillate in and through said aperture, said lever consisting of a single strip of metal disposed as a loop covering an arc of substantially three hundred and fifteen degrees with respect to 

